King of the Evangelion
by therealmotherhecker
Summary: What if Hank Hill's Japanese half-brother was Shinji's father? Following the disappearance of Yui Ikari, Junichiro sends Shinji to Arlen to live with the Hills. How will Shinji Hill deal with the events of Evangelion? Read and find out!
1. Prologue

"Junichiro? Well I'll be dipped, what brings you over to Arlen?" The man referred to as Junichiro cleared his throat, before nudging his head in the direction of a young boy near him. "Hank, my brother," he began, "I remember you and Peggy made a few comments about wanting a second child but gave up due to… _complications_."

Hank looked a little flustered and adjusted his glasses. "Uh huh, so you remembered that, then?" He then looked to the child that was accompanying his half-brother. "Wait a sec, this boy here wouldn't have anything to do with this, would he?"

"As a matter of fact, he does. I have the necessary paperwork right here," Junichiro shoved a pen along with several pieces of paper into Hank's hands, "so just sign and initial in a few places and I'll deal with the rest." Growing annoyed, Hank looked to the papers then back to his half-brother.

"Dangit, Junichiro! You can't just spring something on me like this! Who even is this boy?"

Junichiro cleared his throat. "This is my… _son_ , Shinji Ikari." Junichiro placed a hand on the child's back and pushed him forward. "Say hello to your uncle, Shinji."

Looking up to meet Hank's gaze, Shinji was visibly nervous. "H-hello uncle H-Hank," The boy said with a fairly heavy accent. The propane salesman wanted to turn the boy away, but looking into his little blue eyes, Hank couldn't find it in him to refuse. With a defeated sigh, he spoke. "Alright, Junichiro. You win. I'll sign your dang paperwork and take care of the boy. Just tell me one thing first."

"Of course," Junichiro replied.

"Why can't you take care of him?"

"I am an exceedingly busy man, and since the… passing of my wife, I have had even less time to spend with my son. I knew you had shown interest in having a second child, and I was... impressed by how well you raised your own son, Bobby."

Hank sighed. "That boy ain't always right, but he's my son and dangit, I do care about him. Alright, Junichiro. We have a deal."

After Hank signed the papers, Junichiro left quietly, not speaking another word to his son. This perplexed Hank, but he didn't make any mention of it. Hank and Shinji stood silently until Hank finally realized something. "That's right! I've gotta find you a room." Since Luanne had moved out, Hank had grown accustomed to having his den back. Sadly, his den would have to be relinquished yet again. Once Shinji had unpacked his belongings, the two made their way to the dining room and sat down next to each other.

"Alright, Shinji. How old are you?" Shinji didn't speak but raised three fingers with his right hand. "Three years old, huh? My Bobby's 13. While that's quite the gap, I'm sure you'll get along fine." Hank walked to the fridge then retrieved a carton of orange juice. Getting a glass, he poured some juice then handed it to Shinji. The boy graciously accepted.

"We're alone for now. Peggy's out at some local boggle tournament and Bobby's hanging out with Joseph at the mall. I was gonna head out to the alley in a little bit, but with you around…" Shinji looked to Hank curiously.

"Tell ya hwhat, why don't we just watch TV." They both walked to the living room, then sat down on the couch. Grabbing the remote, Hank switched on the TV. "I don't know what kinda programs they have in Japan, but I'm sure you'll find something ya like on American TV."

Hours passed as the two watched TV and occasionally conversed. Once Bobby returned home, Hank explained the situation. The husky boy was quite understanding and was rather excited over the idea of having a younger brother. Peggy on the other hand…

"Escuchame? You did not just adopt a Japanese child while Peggy Hill was not present!"

"C'mon, Peg-leg! We _did_ want another child, he's related to us, and look at the little fella." Peggy turned to face Shinji; her features quickly softened. "Well… he does look like a sweet little thing. Just make sure I am present the next time a situation like this arises!"

"Ya hear that, Shinji? Your aunt Peggy says you can stay."

Shinji smiled, but that smile soon faltered. Noticing this, Hank approached his new son. "Somethin' the matter, boy?"

"Why did mommy and daddy leave?"

Oh brother, how was Hank gonna explain this one? "Well, uh… I don't really know anything about your mom, Shinji. As for your dad, I'm sure he wants to be with ya, he's just busy." Hanks attempt at cheering the boy up seemed to be failing, so he attempted the first thing that came to mind. He patted Shinji on the head and laughed nervously.

"Don't worry, Shinji. You're a Hill now, and you're living in the greatest town on Earth; Arlen. If Peggy and I can help it, we'll make sure you live the best gotdang life you can!"

"Th-thank you… father."

* * *

 **11 Years Later**

Quite a lot had happened over the last 11 years. Shinji had grown very fond of his new home. No longer did he have a Japanese accent; he spoke like any other Texan teenager. Like his adoptive father, he loved Texas, America, steak, football, Jesus and of course propane. Since he had become a preteen, Shinji spent a fair share of his free time doing volunteer work at Strickland Propane. The Strickland staff had come to be like a second family to the boy.

As for Strickland; Buck passed away 6 years prior due to a cardiac arrest, leaving Hank as manager. It was a mixed blessing to say the least; Hank had finally become manager, but lost someone for whom he held a great deal of respect. Strickland was in good hands, though. If anyone was capable of being manager, it was Hank.

Bobby and his fiancée, Connie, had been living in Massachusetts since Connie started attending Harvard. Joseph had become a college football superstar and had recently been drafted into the NFL to play for the Dallas Cowboys. Dale still hadn't stopped bragging. Speaking of Dale, him, Bill and Boomhauer hadn't changed much. They were still doing the same ol' same ol'. Dale was still an exterminator, Bill was still an army barber and Boomhauer was still a Texas Ranger as well as a womanizer.

Likewise, Peggy was still substitute teaching at Tom Landry Middle School. Each year without fail she continued to win the Substitute Teacher of the Year Award. Luanne and her husband, Lucky, along with their daughter lived a short driving distance away from the Hills. Considering their situation, they weren't doing too poorly for themselves.

It was a seemingly normal Saturday afternoon when Hank went outside to check the mail. "Hmm, this one's addressed to Shinji and it's from Japan." Hank scowled. He knew Junichiro had been busy, but not once had the man visited his son or even made contact. If this was his attempt at making peace, Hank was sure it was too little too late.

Once he had come back inside, Hank called for Shinji before handing him the letter. Shinji looked quizzically at the letter. "NERV? I've never heard of it before."

"I assume it's Junichiro's company or something," Hank explained as he went to the kitchen to fetch an Alamo. Shinji's grip tightened around the letter. Over the years he grew to resent his father, no, not father, Hank was his father. Junichiro just happened to impregnate his mother.

"Do ya think I should open it, dad?"

Hank took a sip of his beer before answering. "Couldn't hurt. I don't expect or even think ya should forgive the man, but at least see what he has to say."

Opening the envelope, Shinji found a single sheet accompanied by a photograph. "What's thi-Bwaaah!" Shinji immediately dropped the photo out of shame, blushing profusely. "Hmm, what's wrong?" Hank asked before picking up the photo. "Huh? She's showing off her cleavage! That's just indecent, I tell ya hwhat!"

Shinji was confused and irritated by the letter. Nearly all the text was blacked out, save for a large "COME!" and his father's name. Attached to the paper was an ID card of sorts; he glanced it over then sighed. "He wants me to come to Japan."

"Hwhat? Why?"

"I don't know. Almost everything's been blacked out. All I know is: He wants me to come to a place called Tokyo-3, he'll pay for the travel expenses, and that woman in the photo will pick me up once I arrive."

Hank looked peeved. "Well, did he include a phone number? We can call him and tell him you aren't interested." Shinji looked unsure of himself. After a few seconds, he clenched his fists and furrowed his brow. "No," the boy began as he stared his adoptive father in the eyes, "my gut is telling me to go. I don't know what's gonna happen, but at the very least I wanna tell that man off in person. Shinji Hill faces his problems head on. He doesn't run away like a coward!"


	2. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Story is based off of the manga because reasons.

"[Dialogue contained within brackets is spoken in Japanese]."

* * *

" _[This is the emergency broadcast system]. [Standby for an important alert]."_

"Huh, hwhat was that?" Shinji asked, not really expecting any kind of response.

" _[Today], [at 12:30 PM], [a special state of emergency is being declared for the entire central Kanto region], [with the Tokai district at the epicenter]. [All residents should quickly and calmly evacuate to their designated shelters]."_

Ignoring the blaring message that he couldn't even understand, Shinji tried to dial a number on a nearby payphone. "Dangit, out of order. The trains don't seem to be runnin' either." Shinji folded his arms and sighed. Despite heavy pressure from his adoptive parents, he had come to Japan alone. The teenager insisted that he could handle everything himself and that he wouldn't be gone long. That and Junichiro wasn't generous enough to pay for Hank or Peggy's travel fare.

Shinji slowly walked towards the steps at the entrance of the train center and sat down. He was dog-tired; two long flights followed by a lengthy train ride. That wasn't even to mention all the hullabaloo he had to endure in the three airports he went through. "This place is a dang ghost town," Shinji said to himself. "In the movies Tokyo's always shown as a bustlin' metropolis…" He scratched his chin. "…Maybe Godzilla or Mothra or heck, even Ghidorah came, and everyone ran away?"

Shinji's knowledge of Japan was… lacking to say the least. Could you blame him, though? He had spent 11 out of his short 14 years of life in Texas. Of what concern were the goings on in Japan to him? Opening his suitcase, Shinji retrieved the letter he had received from Junichiro. He carefully removed the photograph from the envelope and looked at it; blushing as he had earlier.

"She's definitely pretty… but the way she's flaunting herself is just _vulgar_." With a sigh, he put the photograph and letter away, then scratched the sleeve of his jacket. It was the typical black jacket that all Strickland Propane employees wore; over the right breast was a patch that read "Shinji," his name. The symbol of Strickland, a blue flame in front of a golden star, was embroidered over the left breast.

While not an official employee, Shinji had spent a lot of time at Strickland. When he had asked his adoptive father for his own jacket for his 14th birthday, Hank just couldn't turn the boy down. It was a little big on him, but in due time Shinji would grow into it. Besides the jacket, Shinji wore a plain white t-shirt, a pair of slightly worn blue jeans, and brown work boots.

As you've most likely gathered by now, the boy had been heavily influenced by Hank. Hell, most people at Strickland had taken to calling him "Hank Jr." because they were so alike. Were it not for the fact that Shinji was ¾ Japanese, no one would question that he was Hank's son.

Before zipping up his suitcase, the blue-eyed boy grabbed an English-Japanese dictionary he had purchased before embarking on his trip. "Hopefully this'll help out a bit. I can't even remember the last time I spoke Japanese." As he began flipping through the book, loud jets soared above him, blowing the pages over. Alarming as the sudden military presence was, what came next was far more disconcerting.

"Are they firin'… _missiles_?! Hwhat the heck's goin' on here?!"

An explosion occurred shortly thereafter, and Shinji swerved his head in its direction. What he witnessed next was something straight out of a Kaiju movie. "Oh my God…" Shinji whispered as he took a step back. "Hwhat the heck is that... _thing_?"

It was a gigantic, predominantly dark grey bipedal monster. With light grey shoulder pads and bone-like protrusions surrounding a red orb located on its chest; it was an utterly terrifying sight. Its face, if that's what it was, Shinji wasn't certain, was akin to an old plague doctor's mask. More aircrafts joined the scene; showering the behemoth with hailstorms of bullets.

The attempt to quell the monster was admirable but altogether futile. With a swing of its arm, the beast violently swiped away a jet, sending it crashing to earth mere yards away from Shinji. Just as the boy began to flee, a car screeched to a halt in front of him; its front passenger door wide open.

"[Sorry I kept you waiting], Shinji!" The driver of the vehicle, an attractive purple-haired woman exclaimed. _'I know she said my name, but I have no idea what else she said. Whatever, guess this is my ride.'_ Without another thought, Shinji ran into the front seat and slammed the door shut.

As they drove off, Shinji took one last look at the monster. _'I was jokin' about Godzilla before, but maybe I was onto somethin'.'_ Shinji thought nervously. "[Sorry I'm late]," the woman apologized. The boy gulped, then flipped through his dictionary, irritating the woman with his seemingly flippant attitude. A few moments later, he snapped his fingers. _'Okay, I think I know what to say now.'_ Shinji coughed before addressing his escort. "W-watashi, uh, Nihongo wa h-hanase… mase."

The woman, Misato Katsuragi, looked to him and blinked, then turned her face back to the road. "[You don't speak Japanese]? [Isn't that just great]." Shinji just laughed nervously in response but was cut off as a stray missile spiraled to the ground; exploding in front of the car and sending it flying back. Despite the car now being upside down, both passenger and driver were uninjured save for a few scrapes and bruises.

After getting out of the downed vehicle and dragging Shinji out with her, Misato gingerly rubbed a sore spot. "[What the hell is wrong with them]?! [Are they blind]?!" She then looked to Shinji with concern. "Shinji, [are you alright]?"

Shinji rightfully assumed she was asking if he was unharmed, and simply nodded his head. _'My neck's a little stiff, though.'_ The boy thought as he tenderly rubbed the back of his neck. A sudden shrill wail brought Shinji straight to attention. "[My car]! [I've still got 33 payments left]! [Dammit]!" Shinji kept on rubbing his neck in silence as Misato continued to whine.

"[And my dress]! [Do you have any idea how much this cost]?! [These stains will never come out]! [My poor glasses are ruined too]!"

' _I don't know what the hell she's sayin', but you'd think she just lost a child the way she's actin' up. This is ridiculous.'_ Just as Shinji was about to attempt calming the woman down, the monster suddenly reappeared; leaping right in the duo's direction. With quick reflexes honed from years of playing football; Shinji ran and ducked for cover. Misato did likewise. Thankfully, something came to their rescue; an armored robot, at least that's what Shinji assumed, roughly equal in size to the monster.

With a fierce tackle, the "robot" sent the monster crashing into several skyscrapers. "U-Ultraman?!" Shinji asked in bewilderment. Misato looked to the boy and suppressed a chuckle. "[Not quite]. [Don't worry though], [it's on our side]." The teen just looked to her with a raised eyebrow, completely oblivious to whatever she just said. The "robot" looked to them before grabbing the toppled car and setting it upright.

"[Damn], [would you look at the time]! [We've gotta get moving]!" Misato tightly gripped Shinji's wrist and dragged him into the car. "[We have to get out of here], [fast]!" Without even buckling her seatbelt, she shifted the car into drive and sped off. "[Just pray we make it]!" As the two made their escape, the "robot" and the monster continued with their skirmish. Having recovered, the monster swiped at the "robot," causing it to fly back and impact with the ground.

The "robot" quickly stood up and attempted an attack but was effortlessly repelled and sent flying back once again. "That robot's gettin' his ass kicked," Shinji said woefully. Misato looked upset, but not at all surprised by the results of the battle. The "robot" was on its arms and knees, utterly defeated. A large hole opened in the ground underneath it, and the "robot" made its retreat. The fighter jets quickly followed suit.

"Hwhat? Why are they runnin' away?! They've gotta stop that thing!"

"[Tuck your head into your lap and brace for impact]!"

"Huh?"

"[Now]!" Misato yelled as she forcefully grabbed the back of Shinji's head, shoving it into his lap. Before the boy could even comprehend what she was doing and what on earth compelled her to do so, a missile detonated on the monster, igniting a massive explosion. The force of the blast blew the car off its wheels; throwing it around like a ragdoll. Once the car came to a stop, upside down mind you, Shinji noticed he had a very up close and personal view of Misato's rather impressively sized bust. Blushing, the boy shoved his impure thoughts aside.

"You alright, miss?" He asked shyly.

"[I can't] … [I just can't take anymore] …"

A while later, Misato and Shinji had finally arrived at the headquarters of NERV, the mysterious organization Junichiro headed. Shinji was glossing over a pamphlet and thanked the good lord himself it was written in English. "Special agency NERV? Hmm… unpublicized organization under the direct control of the UN…" The teen scrunched up his face. "Never liked the United Nations. With all their bickering, those giblet-heads seem to cause more problems than they solve."

He sighed and put the pamphlet aside. He had so many questions he wanted to ask, but his dictionary could only help him with the most basic of phrases. And even if he could phrase his questions properly, what then? It's not like he'd understand Misato's answers. The two sat in silence for several minutes as Misato drove through the facility.

Upon going through an exit, Shinji's eyes widened in amazement. Contained within the facility was a large geographical mass; with vast forests, lakes, buildings and roads.

"Sweet Jethro Pugh! Is this a real geofront?! I've seen this kinda thing in movies, but I never thought it was possible in real life!" Easily picking up on his excitement and recognizing the word "geofront," Misato smiled. She would've explained its importance but knew that would be pointless. _'[We've gotta hire this kid a damn translator].'_


	3. Chapter 2

Shinji was absolutely certain. There wasn't a single doubt in his young mind. He and Misato were lost. For what seemed like at least an hour, the two had walked aimlessly from corridor to corridor. Neither having any semblance of a clue as to where their destination lied or how far they were from reaching it.

"[You're late], [Captain Katsuragi] …" A voice unfamiliar to Shinji spoke.

Misato looked behind herself; a guilty expression graced her face, like a child who'd just been caught stealing from the cookie jar. "Ritsuko…" She began nervously. Shinji merely looked curiously to the newcomer; a blonde-haired woman with dark brown eyebrows, green eyes and a small mole beneath her left eye.

"… [So late they sent me out looking for you]." The woman referred to as Ritsuko sighed. "[Time is of the essence and our limited personnel are stripped as is]." Rubbing the back of her head bashfully and blushing, Misato attempted to excuse herself. "[I'm really sorry]! [Still haven't got the layout of this place down and I got lost] …"

The blonde's eyes shifted towards Shinji. "[So this is the third child]?"

' _Alright, I think I've got this phrase memorized now,'_ the teenager thought to himself as he folded his arms. "WATASHI NIHONGO WA HANASEMASE!" He shouted with perhaps a tad too much enthusiasm. Ritsuko was taken aback, but quickly recovered and offered the boy a smile. "It's alright, I speak some English. My name is Ritsuko Akagi. I'm from the first engineering division; the supervisor of Project E." Both Shinji and Misato were surprised by her words.

"Pleased to meet you," she finished.

Just as Shinji began to introduce himself, Misato interjected. "Ritsuko! [Since when did you speak English so well]?!" The blonde doctor offered her an aside glance. "[I've known enough to get by for a while now]. [It is the lingua franca and I do have a doctorate], [did you really expect less of me]?"

"Uh, can I introduce myself already?" Both women looked to him; Ritsuko's smile told him all he needed to know. "The name's Shinji Hill. Pleased to meet ya." With an eyebrow raised, Ritsuko silently pondered to herself. _'Hill? [He doesn't go by his parents' name]? [This is an interesting development].'_

"Come along, Shinji. There's something I have to show you before we meet your father."

"My _father_ is the manager of Strickland Propane, and he lives in Arlen, Texas. _Junichiro_ ain't my dad." The blonde winced. _'[Things are that tense between them]? [I have a feeling he might have a few troubles with authority in the foreseeable future].'_

"Sorry, didn't mean to be so snappy," Shinji apologized, his gaze averted. "It's just… I'm satisfied with my life back in Texas. I don't need _that_ man comin' along and drivin' a wedge between me and my _real_ family."

"I understand, Shinji. You don't need to say another word, let's go."

* * *

"[Commander]! [The angel is advancing]! [It's broken through the power mine final defense perimeter!]"

Junichiro stoically observed the monster, or rather, "angel's," rampage. "[It's adjusted its progression vector by five degrees and is still approaching]! [The predicted target destination is our own city, Tokyo-3]!"

Taking command, Junichiro raised his arm and barked an order. "[Alright], [First wave personnel to battle stations]!"

"[Yes sir]!"

The commander of NERV turned his head slightly as he addressed his second-in-command. A squinty-eyed man with hair grayed and skin wrinkled from a long and arduous life. "Fuyutsuki, [it's in your hands now]." With that, Junichiro made his leave.

' _[His first encounter with his son in 11 years] …'_ Fuyutsuki thought to himself.

Elsewhere in the vast facility; Shinji, Misato and Ritsuko boarded a vessel. It was used to traverse a channel filled with some sort of liquid cleansing or preservation agent. As the trio embarked on their little cruise, a cacophonous alert sounded off.

" _[First wave personnel to battle stations]! [Repeat], [First wave personnel to battle stations]!"_

" _[Prepare to initialize anti-ground attack unit-01]!"_

The final message set Misato off, much to Shinji's confusion. "[Wait], [what do they mean]?!" She asked, her tone conveying a great deal of concern; even to Shinji who couldn't understand a lick of what she'd said. Ritsuko looked to her colleague and friend; her hands still steering the vessel. "[Unit-01 is currently cooling down while in defensive formation B]. [It can be reinitialized at any time]."

"[That's not what I'm worried about]!" Misato shouted. "[It's Rei who's my concern]! [If she can't pilot] … [what will we do]?" Ritsuko lowered her eyes; she couldn't seem to come up with any kind of response. "[What the hell is the commander thinking]?!"

An uncomfortable silence followed for several moments; the only noises heard were the rumbling of the vessel's engine and the sounds of liquid swishing and splashing about. "[So] …" Misato broke the silence. "… [Those N² mines weren't effective against the angel]?"

"[No]," Ritsuko replied, "[It only suffered minor surface damage and it's still advancing]." She paused for a short moment. "[It seems to possess an AT Field]."

' _I have no idea hwhat the heck these two are talkin' about.'_

"[Additionally], [the angel has displayed a kind of artificial intelligence]. [According to the Magi system's analysis], [it's not powered or manipulated by remote control]. [The angel is a form of giant], [intelligent life]. [All of its actions are determined by its programming]."

Misato seemed perturbed by this revelation. "[You don't mean] …"

"[Exactly]," The blonde cut her off, "[it operates just like the Eva]."

' _If somebody doesn't speak English soon, I'm gonna lose my gotdang mind!'_

Finally reaching their destination, the vessel came to a halt before a staircase leading towards an entryway. "[We're here]," Ritsuko informed her two companions. The three slowly traveled up the steps; the room the entryway led to was pitch-black. "[It's dark], [be careful where you step]."

The sound of a large switch being pulled echoed throughout the chamber, immediately followed by the illumination of the room. The sudden light made visible the very same "robot" that had protected Shinji and Misato earlier. "It's the robot that saved us!" The boy exclaimed.

"Strictly speaking, she's not a robot," Ritsuko told Shinji; speaking in English much to the teen's relief. "She's a man-made, all-purpose battle weapon; Artificial Human Evangelion!"

' _Artificial Human Evangelion? Sounds like a stupid name if you ask me…'_

"And humanity's last chance… this is the first unit."

Shinji looked to the mechanized beast in awe, not fully comprehending what exactly it was. "So this," he began, "is hwhat Junichiro's been workin' on?"

"That's correct."

The sudden gravelly voice shook Shinji out of his thoughts. He looked up to see his father gazing upon him from a separate, higher elevated room; an altogether impassive expression was on the man's face. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

Clenching his fists, Shinji furrowed his brow and glared at the man. The man who had tossed him aside, the man who viewed him as a hindrance, a burden rather than a cherished family member. "Shinji, listen carefully to what I'm about to tell you. You're going to ride in that Evangelion."

Shinji's eyes widened; with a gasp, he stumbled back slightly. "You're going to battle the angel." Misato looked concern, but slightly unsure of herself. Ritsuko took the purple-haired woman aside and quickly translated the commander's words. Pushing the blonde doctor aside, Misato voiced her concern.

"[You can't be serious], [commander]! [Even for Rei it took seven months to synchronize with the Eva]! [Don't you remember]? [A boy with no training or even any knowledge of all this] … [it's impossible]!"

Junichiro was unfazed by her outburst. "[He only needs to sit in her]. [I expect nothing more at this point]."

"[But]-"

"[Captain Katsuragi]!" Ritsuko interrupted, her irritation at the woman's unprofessional behavior readily apparent. "[Our overriding priority is to halt and repel the angel]! [In order to accomplish that], [it's imperative that we load someone], [no matter who], [into the unit]. [Someone who may have the ability to synchronize to at least some extent with the Eva]!"

The blonde looked judgmentally towards Misato. "[If you have any alternatives], [I'd be glad to hear them]." The argument was lost; Misato could only look on in silence. "Now Shinji, come this way," Ritsuko spoke as she a placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. Shinji recoiled at the touch, prompting the doctor to hastily withdraw her hand.

"This is a buncha gotdang NONSENSE!" He angrily shouted. "You leave me in another country, act as if I don't exist for _11_ years and expect me to be your gotdang soldier?! Do ya have any idea how gotdang ridiculous this all is?! 'Cause I don't think ya do!"

As Shinji's lip quivered, no one dared to interrupt him. "I can't do this and I _won't_ do this! Get someone who's actually qualified!"

"Just accept this explanation," Junichiro started, "you're the best candidate we have… no, you're the _only_ candidate we have." Shinji looked to his biological father incredulously. "The only candidate ya have?! There're millions of people in Japan alone! Why'd ya hafta get an inexperienced teenager from overseas?! It doesn't make sense!"

"You don't need to understand. Just get inside."

"No," the boy responded coolly.

Never losing his calm composure, Junichiro attempted to reason with his estranged son. "If you don't do as I say, all of humanity will perish. Humanity's very existence rests on _your_ shoulders."

"I already gave ya my answer," Shinji spat out between grit teeth, "I ain't gonna repeat myself." Several workers in the room along with Misato offered the boy sympathetic looks. He was shaking furiously, conflicted by the torrent of emotions swirling within him.

Anger.

Sadness.

Fear.

"I see…" Junichiro said, his voice carrying a subtle hint of disappointment. "…I have no further need for you. Leave. Cowards like you are of no use."

NERV's commander turned away from his son before switching on a nearby monitor. "Fuyutsuki, [wake Rei]!"

" _[Can you use her?]"_ Fuyutsuki asked, his voice slightly distorted.

"[She's not dead]. [Have her sent over here]."

"[Recalibrate unit-01's systems for Rei once more]!" Ritsuko suddenly shouted. "[Re-initialize]!" Just as Misato approached Shinji in an attempt to calm the boy down; the sudden sound of hard plastic wheels squeaking against the floor caught her attention. Two doctors were wheeling in a gravely injured girl on a gurney. Shinji looked to her with an expression that conveyed both sympathy and shock.

Never had he seen someone quite so… _unique_ looking. She had deathly pale skin, light blue hair that looked natural crazily enough, and a single visible blood-red eye. The girl was hooked to an IV drip; both of her arms as well as her forehead and non-visible eye were wrapped in bandages.

"Rei, our only backup is useless," Junichiro informed as he observed the girl, "you must pilot the Eva again."

"[Yes]," Rei answered in a curt, soft-spoken manner. Shinji watched in horror as the girl attempted to sit up; only to fail miserably and wince from the pain caused by her severe injuries. Several loud crashing sounds were heard from outside the room. The ceiling began to warp; as if being put under a tremendous pressure. "[That noise]!" Misato yelled.

"[The angel's discovered our location]!" Junichiro growled.

What followed next was the sound then resulting tremor of a terrifying explosion.


	4. Chapter 3

Shinji looked to Rei; his face struck with panic as he cradled the injured girl in his arms. The tremor caused by the Angel's attack had knocked her off the gurney; the boy didn't even think twice when he rushed to her aide. Despite her poor condition, the girl had quite a lot to be thankful for. Had she been only a few feet to the side, she would've been crushed by falling debris.

Rei was breathing heavily; struggling to even remain conscious. _'There's no way she can pilot that thing! He knows that doesn't he...? He's tryin' to manipulate me…'_ Shinji grit his teeth. His biological father was a _real_ piece of work. Using him and this girl as pawns without a single care for their well being. While a little naïve at times, Shinji was far from stupid. He knew his father wasn't lying when he said he was the only candidate they had. If only he had a clue as to _why_ he was their only candidate.

All in all, what bothered Shinji most was his biological father's attitude. After ignoring him for 11 years, Junichiro just expects him to go along with everything he says without any justifiable cause? To accept his word without question and put his life on the line as if it were worth nothing? He was only 14 for God's sake! This wasn't how his life was supposed to turn out.

Shinji had envisioned his future numerous times. He'd be a star running back for Arlen High, just like Hank, and eventually help his team win state. Then he'd graduate, meet a nice girl to settle down with, work his way up the ladder at Strickland Propane and eventually take his dad's place as manager. Piloting a mech and having the fate of the world depend on him… that wasn't in the plan at all!

Misato approached the boy from behind and prepared to speak before mentally cursing herself for not knowing English. She decided to settle for a simple pat on the back, but stopped herself when Junichiro abruptly spoke. "Shinji," He began in a stern, no-nonsense voice, "If you're going to leave, do it now! You're just going to get in the way otherwise." Choking back a curse, Shinji sent the man a venomous glare.

"I'm not stupid…" He whispered, "…you and I both know this girl ain't fit to pilot. If you send her out there, she'll die and then everyone else will die too." Shinji looked sadly to Rei, then grew angry as he looked back to Junichiro. "You brought her out here to guilt trip me! Just admit it!" The commander stared silently at his son; showing no signs of emotion.

' _And ya called_ _ **me**_ _a coward...'_

"When I came here… I thought maybe ya regretted leavin' me. That maybe ya cared, even if only a little. I looked forward to ya tryin' to apologize and me tellin' ya that ya could go to hell." The boy swallowed a lump in his throat.

"By God, do I wanna tell ya to go to hell…" Junichiro smirked, knowing fully well what Shinji was about to say. "…but I won't. Not this time… You win, I'll pilot that thing."

* * *

"Dangit, Dale! I don't have time to watch your science-fiction movie!"

Lowering his shades to reveal his beady eyes, Dale shot Hank a serious look. "Hank, this ain't a sci-fi picture! This is happenin' live in Japan as we speak!" Hank looked to the computer screen then rolled his eyes. "Dale, we've known each other since we were kids, and you've spouted a lotta giblet-headed nonsense before. But _this_ …" The bespectacled man sighed and rubbed his forehead, "…please don't tell me ya think _this_ is real."

"Hank, I know you've always been skeptical of my beliefs. We've learned to agree to disagree on most of those things, but this is from a legit Japanese streamin' site."

"Streamin'?" Hank asked. "Dale, what do rivers have to do with all this?"

"It's short for livestreamin', Hank. It's like live television but on the internet." Dale elaborated. Hank raised an eyebrow and adjusted his glasses. "Uh, well okay then. That doesn't mean what you're seein' is real, though."

"This is real, alright. You know that letter Shinji received from Japan? It was from an organization called NERV, right?" Hank put his hands in his pockets before answering. "Uh, yes. What's that gotta do with this?"

"Not much is known about this NERV organization. It's all _real_ hush-hush, but that purple robot that's fightin' that monster…"

"Hwhat about it?"

"They own and operate it, Hank. Which means if Shinji got a letter from them…" Hank's eyes widened, and his eyes shot frantically toward the screen. "Don't tell me Shinji's involved in all this!"

"I don't know," Dale said, "but odds are he's in danger. Trust me Hank, this ain't a joke." Dale took a drag of his cigarette while Hank watched the computer screen in concern. _'Is this really happenin'?'_ The manager of Strickland Propane thought to himself as he rubbed his eyes in disbelief. _'It looks real… if those are special effects, they're the best dang ones I've ever seen.'_

Hank closed his eyes and crossed his fingers. "Wherever you are; stay safe, boy!"

* * *

"Shinji! Just try walking!" The voice of Dr. Akagi Ritsuko ordered. Said boy looked unsure of himself; his body was shaking, and his heart rate was growing ever more rapid. "But I'm sittin'!" He snapped back to the blonde doctor. "How the heck do I walk in this thing?!"

"Just imagine yourself walking, Shinji. Concentrate on the _concept_ of walking and the Eva will respond."

' _Imagine myself walkin'?'_ Shinji narrowed his eyes and began clearing his mind of unnecessary thoughts. _'Walk… walk… walk!'_ Much to the blue-eyed teen's surprise, the purple behemoth moved a single foot forward. The sudden movement caused Shinji to shake around vigorously in the cockpit. Immediately after, another step followed, and then another.

Both Misato and Ritsuko were visibly impressed. A boy with no training operating an Eva within a few minutes? It was unheard of. "[He did it]!" Ritsuko exclaimed enthusiastically. "[He's doing great]!" Misato added with even greater enthusiasm.

' _Alright, Mr. Eva, you can stop now...'_ Shinji thought nervously. The mech failed to respond and continued its march. _'Stop dangit! You're gonna get us killed if ya keep this up!'_ Unit-01 ignored his orders and kept moving forward.

"THAT'S ENOUGH, GOTDANGIT!" The teen shouted at the top of his lungs, straining his throat. "We're gonna cooperate whether you want to or not, got it?" Seems that was enough to get through to the Eva; as it finally came to a halt. Shinji grit his teeth and stared down the angel. ' _Alright, remember those boxin' lessons I took a while back.'_ With Shinji's thoughts clear and focused, Unit-01 shifted into a loose boxing stance.

"NOW!"

With swift and precise movements, Unit-01 closed the distance between itself and the angel. Without any warning, the purple mech launched a jab aimed directly towards the monster's face or… uh mask-thing. In an instant, the beast illuminated itself in a bright light, stunning Shinji; causing the mech to lose balance and stumble back.

Shinji quickly recovered and while temporarily blinded, delivered a left hook. The fist seemed to land against something, thankfully enough. Well, at the time Shinji thought he should be thankful. Once he had regained his vision, the boy looked to the angel in stunned silence. Between his fist and the red orb located on the angel's chest, was a sort of hexagonal-shaped force field.

"An A.T. field!" Ritsuko shouted over the intercom. "I didn't know the angels also had them… as long as that A.T. field remains, it's unsafe to approach! Create some distance between yourself and the angel, Shinji!"

"Uh, okay…" Retracting his fist, Shinji carefully backed away; all the while observing the angel for any sudden movements. Once he had retreated far enough, the angel's A.T. field dissipated. "Hwhat n-" The boy was cut-off mid sentence as the angel's left arm stretched out and gripped Unit-01's head. Before Shinji could defend himself, the angel followed up by grabbing Unit-01's left arm with its right.

" **AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGHHH**!" Shinji screamed as extreme pain coursed through his arm. The angel had Unit-01's arm in a death grip. "Shinji!" Ritsuko yelled urgently. "You have to calm down and listen! That's not your arm that's been dislocated! The pain you're feeling is only simulated!" Her reassurances did little to calm the teen down as the angel strengthened its grip.

"[Arm has sustained damage]! [Disconnecting all circuits and rerouting connections]!" A brunette bridge-tech by the name of Maya Ibuki informed. Shinji continued to wail in pain. He'd been in scrapes before, hell, this wasn't even the first time he'd dislocated or broken something. But the sheer pressure the angel was exerting on his arm was unreal. It was as if his arm was being run over repeatedly by a tank.

"[Can't you do something], Ritsuko?!" Misato begged. "[At this rate he'll be killed]!"

Ritsuko watched the scene in horror, bringing a hand to cover her mouth. _'[This can't be happening] … [unless the synchro frequencies] …'_

"[The synchro frequencies have gone into hyper fluctuation]!" The blonde suddenly shouted. "[Can you lower the neural circuit feedback regulators a notch or two]?!" She pleaded with Maya. "[I'll give it a try]!" The brunette quickly answered back.

The angel finally released its grip on Unit-01's arm. This however did not grant Shinji or the NERV faculty a modicum of relief, as the hand wrapped around Unit-01's head suddenly began to envelop itself in a bright light.

"Shinji! Get out of the way, now!" Ritsuko ordered in a panic. The poor boy couldn't react in time, and a blast of energy shot right through Unit-01's head. Ritsuko along with the rest of the bridge crew were aghast. "[The cranial area is going into paralysis]!"

" **GOTDANGIT**!" Shinji screamed as he covered his eye in an attempt to quell the phantom pain. The angel's blast only increased in intensity before sending Unit-01 flying back, crashing into a large skyscraper. The NERV personnel looked on in horror; it seemed as if Shinji Hill, humanity's last hope, had been utterly defeated.

"[Degree of cranial damage unknown]!"

Unit-01's head slumped over, and blood began seeping out of it an alarming rate.

"[Cutting power to control neurons]! [Reversing synchro-graphs]!"

"[Pulse is] … [surging back]!"

"[Pull the circuit manually]! [Just stop that backflow]!"

"[Negative]! [Signal's been rejected]! [It's refusing all input]!"

Misato looked worriedly to a male bridge-tech, Makoto Hyuga. "[What about] Shinji?!"

"[Monitors not responding]. [We can't tell whether he's alive or dead]!" Blood continued to pour from the immobile body of Unit-01. "[Unit-01 is completely silent]!"

"[Alright]!" Misato started, her rage evident from her tone and expression, "[I'm suspending all original orders]! [Pilot safety is now our only priority]! [Force ejection of the plug]!"

Maya was next to speak. "[There's no manual override]! [We've lost all contact with the Eva]!"

Everyone at the bridge as well as Hank and Dale watched the downed Evangelion in silent horror.


End file.
